School Superintendent

Primary Function

Serves as chief executive officer of the District and gives leadership to the Salem Schools in that the educational needs of the community are translated into appropriate education programs which are planned, implemented and evaluated.

Essential Responsibilities

Solely Those of the Superintendent

1. Attends all meetings of the Board and may attend meetings of all committees, except when own election, tenure, efficiency, or salary is being considered; shall be entitled to, and, in the work of the Board or its committee, shall exercise all the powers and perform all the duties of membership on the Board except that of voting or signing documents.
2. Assists the Board in its formulation of school policies, plans, and programs; and by preparation and presentation of facts and explanations, assists the Board in its duty in enacting legislation for the conduct of the schools.
3. Makes such rules and regulations, and gives such instruction to employees as may be necessary to make these, and additional action by the School Board, and the requirements of State Law fully effective in the management of the schools; and in all matters not covered by these rules and regulations, acts on own discretion if action is necessary, and reports such action to the Board for its information.
4. Has authority over and exercises general supervision of the policies and management of individual schools or other administrative units of the instructional program.
5. Performs such other duties and exercises such other authority as may be required or assigned by law or by the School Board.

Responsibilities of the Superintendent and Staff, as Delegated

1. Sees that all constitutional or statutory laws and all Oregon Board of Education regulations governing the schools are effectively carried out, and that the rules and regulations of the School Board are enforced.
2. Maintains continuing studies of the problems facing the schools, and keeps the Board informed of the results of these studies, offering recommendations as appropriate.
3. Within the framework of the policies of the Board, forms advisory committees and councils of staff members, which may assist in formulating plans and policies for carrying on the programs of the schools.
4. Reports to the Board at own discretion, or, at its request, upon the administrative policies and plans by which he/she directs the management of matters over which the Board has granted broad discretionary powers, including, especially, the essential features of personnel management and the control of internal policies.
5. Keeps the Board informed as to how its policies are being carried out, as to the effectiveness of such policies, and as to the conditions and efficiency of the different divisions of service in the school system. To this end, maintains a system of financial records, business and property records, and personnel and scholastic records; reports at each Board meeting such matters as are pertinent to the business at hand, and presents annually or from time-to-time, reports covering various phases of the work of the school system, including recommendations affecting the needs of the system.
6. Is responsible for the development and effective operation of such curricula, special courses, and activities needed to provide a complete and adequate system of instruction and physical care for all pupils attending the schools; and maintains this program in keeping with the needs of the community and with the best current developments in education.
7. Exercises general supervision over all employees of the School District and nominates, assigns, alters the assignment, transfers, and recommends for promotion or dismissal all employees of the Board except himself. Suspends any employee for cause, and reports such suspension to the Board at its next meeting with recommendations for further action.
8. Develops, maintains, and operates suitable program of staff improvement through training in connection with service in the school system, and for this, under budget control, employs lecturers, grants temporary leaves from work, and develops professional library facilities as needed.
9. Recommends to the Board the establishment or alteration of attendance boundaries for all schools.
10. Determines the needs for transportation facilities and the establishment of transportation routes, and exercises general supervision over the transportation system in order that the safety and welfare of the children may be properly safeguarded.
11. Directs the development of the annual budget for presentation to the School Board and District Budget Committee.
12. Directs the administration of the adopted budget of the School Board; and acts at all times in accordance with legal requirements, the adopted policies, schedules, procedures and accounting techniques, and other business, financial, or administrative controls established by the Board.
13. Investigates, or causes to be investigated promptly, and reports to the Board, any evidence that may come to attention of any infringement of the legal rights of the District, or in which the legal responsibility of the District may be involved.
14. Represents the schools before the public and maintains, both within and outside the schools, a program of publicity and public contacts designed to improve understanding and morale within the schools, and keeps the public informed of the activities, successes, and needs of the schools.
15. Prepares news releases and other types of public information so that the citizens of the District may have a fair and impartial view of the educational and service programs of the District.
16. Prepares an agenda for each regular meeting of the Board and forwards it, together with abstracts of supporting data, to each Board member at least two days before each regular meeting.
17. Coordinates the collection of all information required to adequately assess the needs of the community, plans programs to meet those needs, evaluates those programs, and meets the statutory requirements of local, state, and federal regulations for reporting demographic, census, and fiscal data.

Major Planning Responsibilities

Directs Districtwide planning activities.

Key Relationships

1. The School Board: Reports to.
2. Cabinet positions: Directly supervises these positions.
3. All District staff: Indirectly supervises these positions.
4. Parents and the general public: Responds to most sensitive questions and complaints.

Minimum Qualifications

1. Master's degree or equivalent training.
2. Five years of executive experience resulting is acquired skill in leading, planning, managing and evaluating a school district.
3. Oregon Standard Superintendent's License.

Terms of Employment

The Superintendent shall be employed for a specified term, at a salary to be determined by the School Board, and shall be on duty twelve months each year with vacation as determined by Board policy.